I chose to view video cases 1 and 4 because I felt these cases spoke to many issues I am now grappling with in my present context. Video case 1, which looks at a STEM approach, was of significant interest because in my locale we are trying to promote the STEM methodology, and since we are in infant stage of its adoption, I am always curious to see it in action. Video case 4 which looks at pre-service teachers was intriguing to me because in my present job I prepare teachers to teach chemistry at the secondary level.
Video Case 1
STEM promotes a collaborative approach to the teaching and learning process which came across in the videos. Both students and teachers relayed experiences of them having to lean on their peers when they did not possess the requisite skill set. One teacher pointed out that in today’s world there is to much information for any one person to know it all so we have to rely on others for their expertise. This collaborative nature has the benefit of allowing interaction across disciplines (the video showed the interaction among chemistry, physics and information technology) and thus students are able to see how they will be able to apply their learning to deal with real-life problems. It requires teachers to be comfortable with not having all the answers which can be unnerving for some. The other advantage of STEM that came across in the case was that the project-based nature of the activities gives students opportunities to develop critical thinking, creative thinking, organisational skills.
The main issues that I recognised from the STEM case had to do with time and resources. In one of the videos the teacher pointed out that he had a challenge of figuring out how the students would complete some tasks associated with their projects, or how they would do to sort out problems that cropped up because they weren’t give a significant block of time to work on their projects. In watching the video I was impressed with the resources the teacher had for students to complete their projects. In my particular context, an inability to provide the requisite resources may be one of the greatest challenges we face in trying to implement STEM education.
Video Case 4
In this case the issues relating to how teachers incorporate technology into their classroom were addressed. One of the key things that was mentioned was the need to support teachers as they try to use technology in their classrooms. Some pre-service teachers indicated that were reluctant to jump in and use technology right way because they were afraid that they would not be able to deal with issues that arose. This level of discomfort could be eased with a proper support system. The video also pointed out how a teacher’s philosophy of learning and how their pedagogical content knowledge affected their use of technology in the classroom. Some of the pre-service teachers noted that they felt some of the software programmes would decrease their students competence in certain skills and hence they would be reluctant to adopt its use in some ways. While I agree with the hesitation these teachers have, I believe that they should focus on what ways would the use technology would prove to be the most beneficial in bringing concepts across to their students instead of focusing on the ways it would decrease their competences.
You raise an interesting point about providing teachers adequate supports integrating digital technologies. As a part of this program, I think we know that educators are pedagogical experts related to our subject areas and are experts at integrating digital tools but the technical aspect is an additional layer of complexity. Knowing how to design a website and knowing how to integrate a website in a classroom are completely different skill sets.
Mishra and Koehler wrote about TPCK (Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge). Every classroom teacher must be an expert in a content area of the learning experience, and the more we get into this course the more I doubt the model of elementary school generalists teaching math and science… there must be a solid expertise in the subject matter. Teachers must know the pedagogy. Finally, teachers must possess knowledge related to the use of the technological tools. When brought together, TPCK represents what teachers need to be most successful in integrating digital tools.
And personally, I find it a bit frustrating as an expert in using technology in a classroom context to have someone run to me because they can’t figure out how to hook up the audio system in the gym… not the same skill set…
I found your take on case 4 interesting. I think we can all relate to being young teachers afraid to mess up. The workload seems so high…I remember a few months in wondering how I was going to make a career out of this. I wonder how much of it boils down to personal confidence? I think when introducing technology one always must ask if it adds value but not trying something because you are afraid to mess up is a shame.
The truth is teachers do need supports and some encouragement. As an administrator and an Ed tech enthusiast, I love to see teachers trying new things and building up skill sets. In recognizing the effort it tends to motivate which promotes further growth I believe.
Some great points raised in your post, Kamille.
I think as you mentioned in case 4, that some of the pre-service teachers were really afraid to try new technology and some who were not afraid thought that they were not capable of using it. I think I can relate to this fear as being a new teacher I was afraid to use some of the technology that my sponsor teachers were using at my practicum school. I was intimidated by the first but then I decided to get my feet wet and truly understood the importance of technology in the classroom. I think sometimes all it takes is one step forward in trying something new and you realize that it was not so difficult. Great post overall!
Simran